


The Farmer

by imhellapan



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Currently being rewritten - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gen, Inspired by the customization in the first part of the game, M/M, Multi, Polyamorous Character, Shane doesn’t do well with strangers, Stardew Valley has magic, The farmer is an enigma, someone should have stop me when I had this idea, they change very often
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-25 07:27:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20720399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imhellapan/pseuds/imhellapan
Summary: Upon hearing about the arrival of the grandchild of the former owner of the land, the townspeople of Pelican were ecstatic and buzzing with excitement. A new person is coming and is ready to change the dynamic of the townAnd did it changed.The farmer was kind and thoughtful. Always have a hand ready to help, an ear to listen, and a gift ready to be given to. Always seems to remember their birthdays, comfort  them in their sad days, and hype them up in their great days. They changed the valley and made it brighter than ever.Which was a good reason why the people never seem to noticed the strangeness that the landlord has with them til the seasons turned to fall.“Oh my goodness!” Haley, being inside of the salon on the rarest of times, was swooning and telling her sister and her sister’s boss of the feelings she had. “The new farmer is such a charmer! She has been giving me sunflowers ever since she harvested her very first sunflower you know.”“She?” Alex said, overhearing the conversation as he was about to leave the salon. “What are you talking about Haley? The farmer is a guy. Hell, the dude has a beard and everything.”





	1. A connection was made

Shane made sure to mind his own business. Sometimes it was hard, a small town tends for news to go around quickly but with a few bottles in, the talk in the salon all turned into fuzzy memories he couldn’t recall. The gossips and the rumors will turn into white noise.

It was rather difficult for this present year as a new person has come to the valley and became really popular for all the right reasons.

However, before he even could do such activities on that breezy Friday night, Haley started to swoon about that said-person.

Their new landlord. The farmer themselves.

”Oh, the farmer is such a dear.” She said loudly with a sighed. Emily just chuckled at her sister while Gus nodded and listened to the blonde. “She has been giving me every sunflower she grows! A charmer, really, and if it honestly continues on, I might even fall, you know.” She giggled at that thought.

Now, don’t get Shane wrong upon thinking about this, but shouldn’t the farmer supposedly a male? Or at least use the pronouns ‘he’? He remembered what his aunt told him about the farmer and the pronoun ‘he’ was always going through conversations. The confusion that the conversation was bringing started to hurt his head so he chugged the rest of the beer he was drinking to make it all into white noise.

“She?” Alex voicing out his, and Shane’s, thoughts. “What the hell are you talking about Haley? The farmer is a guy. Dude’s got a beard and everything.” He said to his friend, giving her a puzzled look.

Shane blinked at what the former football player just said. From the drawings his niece showed him, he knew the farmer doesn’t have a beard. So what is really going on here, he didn’t know but he shook his head one more time, trying to not listen to the conversation anymore and gestures Emily for another glass of beer.

Haley looked at Alex with a raised eyebrow. “Um, no? I understand you thought she would be a guy because she kinda does look like one but she doesn’t have a beard or any other facial hair Alex.” She said, remembering meeting the farmer for the first time and accidentally believing she was a guy but then was mistaken. However, in all the time she has seen the farmer, there wasn’t any facial hair growing. 

“First of all, he does have one! It’s a full-on beard and it is the beard you like on guys Haley.” Alex replied, gesturing his jaw to his chin. “And second of all, there is no way he doesn’t have one because he said won’t ever fully shave it off!”

Alex remembers it so well as it occurred a couple of days ago. He asked the farmer if he would ever full-on shave it off while the two played catch with his football. The farmer laughed, nearly dropping the ball, and shook his head.

That laughter sent something to the former football player and made him realized some things. It’s why he is very sure that there is no way the farmer is someone who doesn’t have a beard.

Gus was slowly backing away from the conversation as he hummed and commented while wiping a glass, ”Well isn’t this quite strange...” he said. Shane, who was still listening, agreed with him.

Emily, already served up a beer to Shane, came back to the discussion and disagreed with her sister’s friend statement. “Alex, I’m sorry but last time I saw the farmer, which was a couple of hours ago, she was definitely a girl and had no beard.”

Before Alex would defend his statement, Leah went up to Gus to pay for her dinner when she noticed the commotion and joined in. 

“What’s happening here?” Asked the concerned artist. Before any of them explain what was happening, the young blonde quickly turned around and pointed at Leah.

“Leah! What is the most noticing thing about the farmer?!” Haley asked the older girl.

Leah blinked, surprised at the sudden question given to her, and said with a slightly pink face as she recalls a small kiss in the cheek the farmer gave her this morning. “Well, first of all, the farmer is quite a cute girl—“

Haley turned back to Alex with a grin of trump, “Hah! I told you, the farmer is a g—“

“—and she has really pretty long blonde hair.”

And then Haley, Emily, and Alex froze. They all then turned back to the artist who raised an eyebrow as they all gawked at her. 

“What?” Leah asked as her pinkish face returning back to her original color, concern flowing through her for the three younger people who were staring at her as if she said there are monsters in the mine.

“Holy hell, are we sure we are talking about the right farmer?” Alex asked back, sitting down next to the seat of Haley and trying to make any sense of where this exchange is going. “Because the farmer I know has red hair, a beard, and is, in fact, a guy.”

“Wait, what?” The artist asked again, starting to get confused about the direction this conversation is going. 

While Emily explained what was happening to the older women, the former football player asked his friend whose head is on top of the counter and face being covered by her arms, “How about you Haley? What does the farmer look like for you?”

“Well,” she looked up and had a little smile. She remembers the little moments she had with the farmer like that one time when she was trying to fish on the beach. Oh how much the farmer kept failing but the laughter, the smile and the determination on her face gave Haley feelings all over.

_—Alex caught that little smiled and felt something similar to what he felt a couple of days ago—_

“She has whitish to pinkish hair that stops above her shoulder.” Haley twirled a lock of her hair and then she recalled another thing the farmer had. “She also wears this adorable little green bow from time to time as well.”

“She wears one too!” Leah said, already understood what was happening and yet still was honestly very confused. “Well, at least my version of the farmer does.”

“So let me get this straight.”

The four looked behind them and it was when Shane finally joined the conversation. He left his 3/4 full glass of beer at the counter and approached the young adults, ”For most of you, the farmer doesn’t look the same right?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, crossing his arms. “We have come to that point so now what?”

“First things first,” The drunkard looked at the young adults in the eye. “Are you fucking sure that this person or people are the farmer?” Shane bluntly asked.

The four adults went silent for a second as they searched in their memory and thought about it before nodding in unison. “Wait a minute. Shane,” Leah said. “How about you? What does the farmer look to you?”

The drunkard simply shrugged. “I don’t know what they look like. I’ve just been hearing stuff about the farmer from Jas and Aunt Marnie.” He said, putting his hands in his jacket’s pockets.

Haley, Leah, Alex, and Emily stared at Shane in disbelief and before any of them said anything, the once teens of the town came up to them.

“Hey guys, why the hell y'all gather together?” Asked Sam, greeting them first and waving to all five of them.

“Quick! What does the farmer look like to you?” Alex rapidly asked the three. Abigail, Sebastian, and Sam were surprised by the question but nevertheless did answer.

“He has a five o’clock shave, it’s really funny because he said never could get rid of it no matter how much he tries t shave it off.” Sam. 

“She has really nice hair, love her red highlights on her brown hair.” Abbigail.

“Her hair is really short like the hairstyle of those dudes in the nineties or something.” Sebastian.

The three friends then froze as they looked at each other with confusion.

“Hold on, what the fuck do you me—“

“Great! Their version of the farmer is different too!” Emily exclaimed, interrupting Sebastian and rubbing her templates. 

Haley sighed and ordered a cup of tea from Gus. “This is going to take all night huh?” She said to herself. 

And thus the night continues on, as the discussion keeps going places and getting them nowhere to grasping what they just learned. 

And that is one thing for sure.

They now realized that the farmer isn’t what they seem at all.

And when the night ended, they have no idea if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day: Oct 10
> 
> Friendship levels:  
Abigail, age 19  
>>six hearts
> 
> Sebastian, age 19  
>>five hearts
> 
> Sam, age 20  
>>six hearts
> 
> Penny, age 20  
>>six hearts
> 
> Maru, age 21  
>>five hearts
> 
> Emily, age 22  
>>six hearts
> 
> Haley, age 22  
>>seven hearts
> 
> Alex, age 22  
>>eight hearts
> 
> Leah, age 24  
>>seven hearts
> 
> Elliott, age 25  
>>five hearts
> 
> Shane, age 27  
>>zero hearts
> 
> Harvey, age 31  
>>six hearts


	2. A fateful encounter

It has been a week since the young adults of Pelican have found the connection.

They have spent days in Emily and Haley’s home  (_—after deciding not to talk about it in the salon on the next day of the meeting—_)  discussing what to do with this information they have learned.

“Wait a second here,” Maru uttered from one of the couches during one of the meetings. She was laying down on Penny’s lap during the whole discussion before finally sitting straight up when Haley told them the predicament. “Are you fucking telling me that there are different versions of the farmer?”

Oh right, they also included Maru, Penny, Harvey, and Elliot into the discovery via Leah talked about it with Elliot while Sam told it to Penny who told it to Maru who passed it along to Harvey.

Sebastian scoffed quietly, his friends being the only ones hearing it, when his step-sister spoke up.

It was in that same week that the young adults learned that the farmer was seen being six different people. They gathered all the data and have come to two logical conclusions.

It was either was six different people were pretending to be the farmer or the farmer loves to cosplay.

“Cosplay?” Elliot said from the left side of the room, leaning on the wall and looking at the papers on the coffee table and the whiteboard in front of them. “What’s that?”

“It’s like Spirt’s Eve but you are just annoying people.” Abigail casually said with a smirk as Sam snorted and Sebastian elbowed her.

Most of the older adults looked at them with questioned looks of their own while Alex just chuckled, Haley rolled her eyes, Emily held back a giggle, and Maru shook her head with a smile.

Such simple things just like that were sadly noticeable for one to remember the other’s age.

That was what Leah thought after searching up what the younger girl was referencing about.

And thus, the week passed and it was now Saturday noon.

‘Six people or costumes, hm.’

Shane couldn’t but thought about it as he looked up to see the gorgeous red and yellow of the forest, with the sun up high and the sound of nature all nearby. The nature of Stardew Valley is truly beautiful no matter how long you have been outside. One can never seem to get tired of it.

He then nodded to himself before continuing his path to the town so he could get the groceries this week.

It was very strange, the whole dilemma honestly. It’s one thing that there may be six people pretending to be the farmer but it’s another when those people have been pretending to be the farmer for at least ten months and no one noticed it til now.

It’s why he thinks the cosplay thing was a much more logical reason, even if somehow the farmer has a beard or a five o’clock shave. There was just one more thing to be worth worrying about in this entire situation the young adults got into and it was simply this.

Why the farmer hasn’t said anything about it?

It was clear to most of the young adults that Haley, Leah, and Alex are in a very close friendship with the farmer  (—maybe even much closer than friendship for the many times the three blush when they talk about the farmer—) but even so, the farmer never did talk about cosplaying or anything similar to the matter when they were with the three.

Some of them were worried if the farmer was playing with the three, as a kid to their toys, but Shane knew that wasn’t that case if it weren’t how kind and friendly the farmer has been.

Or at least what he was told.

The drunkard shook his head and sighed. Wondering how he even got into this mess for he, himself, knew he shouldn’t have gone deeper than this He wasn't even close to the farmer and only meet him once during the season of spring when the landlord was greeting and meeting the townsfolk.

Sadly, he couldn't even recall the meeting with the new owner of the land due to a massive hangover he was feeling during that day.

The drunkard sighed yet again, this whole farmer business was already getting a bit out of hand for him to even think about it more while he was alone and doing his business. 

“Hey!”

Shane suddenly heard from his behind.

He turned to see a small white pickup truck parked on the side of the path and someone waving hello to him next to the truck. Confused, he turned back and ignored them for a couple seconds in before hearing their footsteps behind him.

The drunkard turned back and saw a man with violet messy hair and a five o’clock shave, his green eyes sprinkled with genuine happiness as his mouth was formed to be a large grin.

Shane’s eyes widen slightly upon recognizing the man as the description of Sam and Penny’s version of the farmer.

The mystery person of the Pelican Town, the landlord of Stardew Valley, and the farmer were him.

This odd yet seemingly friendly guy.

“Hey, you’re Shane right?” The landlord said with his large grin. “Ah! I’m sorry if it offends you but honestly, I haven’t seen you since spring and when I saw you right now, I couldn’t help but think of saying hello! So here I am in front of you and saying, well, hello!” 

Soon, he realized he was rambling for quite a bit. “Ah! I’m sorry for speaking too much, I tend to do that a lot but really, it’s nice to meet you again Shane!”

Without thinking, Shane quickly replied.“I hardly know you. Why the hell are you talking to me?” He watched as the farmer’s grin nearly faltered and felt bad for a second.

Just for a second because after a few moments, the landlord’s grin managed to get larger as his eyes sparkled of determination.

‘Oh god, don’t tell me he is going to try to be my friend or something like that.’

“I’ll be honest,” the farmer said, placing his left hand on his chest. “I was just a bit curious about you since Jas and Marine talk about you a lot! You have a great family Shane, they really do love about you.” 

Shane just raised an eyebrow from that odd comment.

The rumors were quite true then, the farmer seems like an odd fellow. 

Thinking the conversation was over, the drunkard muttered a “Thank you.” and started to walk away.

“Wait!” The owner of the land called him out again. The older man just sighed and turned to see a wild plum shoved on his face.

“It’s for you!” The farmer declared, holding the fruit to the drunkard. “Fall is a great time to forage which is why I tend to, well, forage!”

Noticing Shane’s hesitation to take the gift, the farmer added. “Don’t worry! It’s clean and it’s very fresh and it’s really good quality!” He winked and laughed. “A gold star in my book!”

Shane took the plum from the man, he may be rude but he knew better not to accept a gift, and the farmer’s smile seems to start shining bright.

“This is great. Thanks.” The drunkard grunted, still holding the plum.

“You’re welcome!” The farmer then looked at his wristwatch and gasped. “Oh Yoba, it’s nearly going to be 1! Sorry Shane but I have to go. Work is calling me!” He ran back to his trunk but not before turning back and exclaiming, “See you later Shane! Hope we will get to see each other often now!”

Shane unconscionably waved back to the truck as it went in a different direction and disappeared from the horizon.

He stood there for a couple of seconds before looking at the plum. He let out a grunt and put the plum into his pocket. The drunkard returned back to his routine and continued his walk to town.

The drunkard couldn’t help but think of that meeting while on his way to Pierre’s. It was odd but welcoming. The farmer is what people have told him and yet much more awkward and strange. Plus he got a snack out of it so one can see the farmer is truly kind. 

Shane looked up to the sky and wondered if there was going to be meetings like this ever again.

And then he remembered he didn’t ask what was the farmer’s name nor about the different versions of the farmer.

Well, there is always the next meeting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day: Oct 18
> 
> Forging:  
Wild Plums;  
4 normal, 6 silver, 0 gold  
Hazelnut;  
0 normal, 5 silver, 3 gold  
Common Mushroom;  
2 normal, 2 silver, 1 gold  
Chanterelle  
2 normal, 0 silver, 0 gold  
Total: 2,445 gold
> 
> Over all earnings today: 4,560
> 
> Friendship levels:  
Abigail, age 19  
>>six hearts  
Gift 1: Quartz  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Sebastian, age 19  
>>five hearts  
Gift 1: Quartz  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Sam, age 20  
>>six hearts  
Gift 1: Joja Cola  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Penny, age 20  
>>six heartsick  
Gift 1: Milk  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Maru, age 21  
>>five hearts  
Gift 1: Quartz  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Emily, age 22  
>>six hearts  
Gift 1: Quartz  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Haley, age 22  
>>seven hearts  
Gift 1: Sunflower  
Gift 2: Maple Syrup
> 
> Alex, age 22  
>>eight hearts  
Gift 1: Pizza  
Gift 2: Large Egg
> 
> Leah, age 24  
>>seven hearts  
Gift 1: Salad  
Gift 2: Bok Choy 
> 
> Elliott, age 25  
>>five hearts  
Gift 1: Jelly  
Gift 2: none 
> 
> Shane, age 27  
>>one-fourth heart  
Gift 1: Wild Plum  
Gift 2: none yet 
> 
> Harvey, age 31  
>>six hearts  
Gift 1: Quartz  
Gift 2: none
> 
> Note: the Stardew Valley Fair will be in Oct 26, 9am, town square


	3. A friendship ready to sail

Shane really hates Joja.

Not just his dead-end job in JojaMart but the whole cooperation itself too. He remembered faintly how the corporation started when he was on his first year in high school and when it was suddenly everywhere upon him reaching second year of collage. 

And when he dropped out during that same year, the drunkard knew in the back of his head that he would end up working at the cooperation like most of his peers.

Sending them all to the daily grind the older man dreaded since his last year in high school.

So, in reality, Shane just really and very much hates JojaCorp. 

And it was already Monday afternoon and the world is back on it’s usually bullshit. 

He let out a silent groan as his headache got a little worse (_—he cursed Sebastian mentally for bring that really good whiskey yesterday. The drunkard wonders if the younger man would ever tell where he bought it—_) and nearly messing up the arrangement of food.

_‘Literally only three people buy here, why do I have to this?’_ Shane thought as he took a second to collect himself and rubbed his head.

Yoba, he really wants to die in this stupid ass convenience store.

“Shane!” 

And somehow his boss’ shrill, high pitch, annoying voice made his headache much worse.

“Hello dear employee!” Morris said with the fakest smile Shane has ever saw and trust him, he has seen a lot of fake smile (_—somehow, the farmer’s smile had the realest and the most innocent smile he had ever seen on an adult—_) “It’s about to be two soon and I noticed that you haven’t taken your lunch break yet!” 

The bastard of a manager let a chuckle (_—‘Yoba, how is his laugh much worse than his smile AND his voice?’—_) and waved his finger. “And we cant have that! No sir, we can’t! The department of health would take us out of business if we do!” 

“Boss, I’m fin—“

“Now, sir, go go go go.” The smaller yet older man started to push the other man away, both from his job and out of the store. “And don’t come back ‘til an hour has passed.”

Shane stared at the manager as he waved goodbye and went back to the store.

_‘What the fuck.’_ The drunkard thought.

He sighed and then walked to the picnic table that was next to the store.

He pulled out a wild plum, a new one for the farmer saw him very early morning and gave him another one, from his pocket and looked at it as his thoughts flowed through his head. 

The meetings about the farmer at Emily and Haley’s home was obviously changing, that he had noticed. Just around four days ago, the talk of the farmer was decreasing each day as it was replaced by gossiping, drinking, card games and just hanging out.

It was strange but he couldn’t even give a fuck about it. 

It was nice to have friends, even if it’s temporary.

“Hey neighbor.” Opening his eyes (_—when did he ever close it?—_) he looked up to see Leah, wearing the traditional JojaMart uniform and holding a small container. “Morris kicked me out too, saying I should eat lunch. Can I sit next to you?” The artist said with a small smile. 

Shane just simply nodded and the artist sat down next to him. A comfortable silence has come between them as the girl opened the container to eat her lunch. 

The drunkard rubbed his head as he looked at the wild plum yet again. 

“Did the farmer gave you that?” 

Shane turned to Leah as she smiled and pointed at the plum using a fork. “The wild plum, did she gave you that?”

The artist then paused as her eyes widened. “Oops! Sorry but I mean did they give you that?” She asked yet again with smile. 

“Yeah.” Shane simply said, turning the fruit around. “How did you know? I didn’t say anything yesterday.” 

“Because the farmer told me this early morning.” She then sighed and looked up to the sky. “They said they saw you last weekend for the first time in months. It was honestly adorable.” She said before taking a bite of the food she brought. 

Shane raised an eyebrow on that statement. “Adorable? You think the one you love talking about someone else is adorable?” 

Leah nearly choked on her food as the drunkard stared at her as she swallowed and cough for a bit.

“Love?!” She exclaimed after her coughing fit. He winched at the volume as she continued to said but now in a lower voice. “Sorry for screaming but what do you mean by love?!” 

Shane gave her a blank look as she paused and then her eyes widened in realization. “Don’t tell me...” The artist muttered which the drunkard just simply sighed and patted her back. 

“Oh Yoba...” She groaned out. “Please don’t tell me I’m as obvious as Haley and Alex...” 

Shane then was taken back. “You knew too?” He asked, surprise on how she knew that she had love rivals. 

“Of course I knew.” She placed arm to the table as she put her hand underneath her face and leaned on it. “The farmer talks about the two too and I find it adorable on how they get so excited about you or Haley or Alex.” Leah said, turning to the drunkard as the two stared for a bit.

Shane couldn’t help but think why. Why would she think that it was adorable? Why isn’t she feeling jealousy? Why does she look at Haley and Alex so fondly during the meetings? Why is he butting into this? _Why is he, the drunkard of the valley, getting involvedinto this? He is just a rude asshole who only thinks of himself and should be better off alone **so why is he knowing all of thi—**_

“You want some?” Leah suddenly said as he blinked and saw her fork some of the salad near his face. “The farmer made this but it’s honestly a bit too salty.” She said with a giggle.

Without thinking, Shane took a bite of food from the offering fork and ate it. He then broke the wild plum and gave the half to the younger adult who was slightly blushing. “For the salad.” The drunkard grunted as he looked onto the horizon.

“Thank you...” Leah said, taking the half of the plum with a smile Shane saw from the corner of his eyes.

In the back of his mind as a comfortable silence envelopes the two, he thought of how the artist’s smile was as real as the farmer’s grin.

And unknown to the two, a young woman around the age of 25 was watching them and the moment the two had. The wind blew her white hair upon her face yet her grin did not falter.

Why would it falter as two of her loves seemingly about to fall in love soon? Ohshe, the landlord of the valley, was ready. Ready to present all four of them with a bouquet she made. 

Her hair then grew even longer as her hair turned black, his gender shifting and his thoughts plagued him.

_His inner voices taunted,** “If only the farmer would tell their loves about themselves.” **_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day: Oct 20
> 
> Forging:  
Wild Plums;  
2 normal, 3 silver, 0 gold  
Hazelnut;  
0 normal, 3 silver, 0 gold  
Chanterelle;  
1 normal, 0 silver, 0 gold  
Red Mushroom;  
1 normal, 0 sliver, 0 gold  
Total: 819 gold
> 
> Over all earnings today: 1,019 gold
> 
> *anything else that was written was ripped off*


End file.
